Hornsey
Encyclopedia
Hornsey is a district in London Borough of Haringey
in north London
in England. Whilst Hornsey was formerly the name of a parish and later a municipal borough of Middlesex
, today, the name refers only to the London district. It is an inner-suburban area located 6.2 miles (10 km) north of Charing Cross
.
was abolished in 1965, the name may refer either to the N8 postal district which includes Crouch End
and part of Harringay
, or to an area centred around Hornsey High Street, at the eastern end of which is the churchyard and tower of the former parish church which used to be the administrative centre of Hornsey (parish)
.
Hornsey Village, which was first recorded in 1202 according to the Place Names of Middlesex, was the focus of parish with its Church first mentioned in 1291. The village developed along what is now Hornsey High Street, and in the seventeenth century it was bisected by the New River that crossed the village in three places: first at the end of Nightingale Lane, secondly from behind the Three Compasses and lastly, as it does now, at the bottom of Tottenham Lane. The village grew dramatically after about 1860 and eventually merged with the separate settlement at Crouch End
(first mentioned in 1465) to form an urban area in the middle of the parish.
To the north of Hornsey High Street, and immediately to its south, the area is largely public sector housing, save for the more upmarket development by the New River
. Between the eastern end of the High Street and the bottom of Muswell Hill
, the character of the area changes dramatically. Much of this part is the Warner Estate built up with large well-appointed late Victorian houses. To the south east of the High Street is Priory Park
, a pleasant urban green space.
The High Street has a range of shops and an increasing number of restaurants. The eastern section retains strong echoes of its rural past and hosts the 13th Century tower which is all that remains of St Mary's Church.
On the north side of the High street is the old public bath and wash house. Opened in 1932, it had 33,000 users a year in the 1950s. It is now abandoned and sits on a site the future of which is documented here. A small group of local residents have suggested to Haringey Council that it should be developed as an arts & crafts studio and gallery for local artists.
which is a modern variant now applied more specifically to the Borough.
Much of Hornsey was built up in Edwardian times, but the tower of the original parish church still stands in its ancient graveyard in Hornsey High Street, at the centre of the old village. Other notable places are the Doragh Gasworks, the former Hornsey Town Hall
in Crouch End
, and Highpoint and Cromwell House in Highgate
.
In 1929 Hornsey Lido was built in Park Road, an open-air pool 165 ft by 75 ft, now called Park Road Pools.
In 1954 the first Lotus Cars
factory was established behind the Railway Hotel (now Funky Brownz Bar) on Tottenham Lane. In 1968 Crouch End was briefly the scene of a student revolt at Hornsey College of Art
.
's 1987 debut novel The Accidental Woman, the protagonist Maria shares a flat in Hornsey with two women for several years.
, publisher Andrew Melrose, eminent theatre architect Frank Matcham
, soviet communist apologists William Peyton Coates and Zelda Coates. Actor Bob Hoskins
grew up here. The once-famous poet Samuel Rogers
, a friend of Byron and Dickens, is buried in Hornsey churchyard.
Other notable residents are:
London Borough of Haringey
The London Borough of Haringey is a London borough, in North London, classified by some definitions as part of Inner London, and by others as part of Outer London. It was created in 1965 by the amalgamation of three former boroughs. It shares borders with six other London boroughs...
in north London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in England. Whilst Hornsey was formerly the name of a parish and later a municipal borough of Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, today, the name refers only to the London district. It is an inner-suburban area located 6.2 miles (10 km) north of Charing Cross
Charing Cross
Charing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian...
.
Locale
The boundaries of Hornsey neighbourhood today are not clearly defined. Since the Municipal Borough of HornseyMunicipal Borough of Hornsey
Hornsey was a local government district in east Middlesex from 1867 to 1965.In 1867, a Local Board was formed for part of the civil parish of Hornsey. The rest of the parish was already under South Hornsey Local Board formed in 1865....
was abolished in 1965, the name may refer either to the N8 postal district which includes Crouch End
Crouch End
Crouch End is an area of north London, in the London Borough of Haringey.- Location :Crouch End is in a valley between Harringay to the east, Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green to the north, Finsbury Park and Archway to the south and Highgate to the west...
and part of Harringay
Harringay
Harringay is a residential area of North London, part of the London Borough of Haringey, United Kingdom. It is centred on the section of Green Lanes running between the northern boundary of Finsbury Park up to the southern boundary of Duckett's Common, not far from Turnpike Lane.-Location:The...
, or to an area centred around Hornsey High Street, at the eastern end of which is the churchyard and tower of the former parish church which used to be the administrative centre of Hornsey (parish)
Hornsey (parish)
Hornsey was an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex. It was both a civil parish, used for administrative purposes, and an ecclesiastical parish of the Church of England.- Civil parish :...
.
Hornsey Village, which was first recorded in 1202 according to the Place Names of Middlesex, was the focus of parish with its Church first mentioned in 1291. The village developed along what is now Hornsey High Street, and in the seventeenth century it was bisected by the New River that crossed the village in three places: first at the end of Nightingale Lane, secondly from behind the Three Compasses and lastly, as it does now, at the bottom of Tottenham Lane. The village grew dramatically after about 1860 and eventually merged with the separate settlement at Crouch End
Crouch End
Crouch End is an area of north London, in the London Borough of Haringey.- Location :Crouch End is in a valley between Harringay to the east, Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green to the north, Finsbury Park and Archway to the south and Highgate to the west...
(first mentioned in 1465) to form an urban area in the middle of the parish.
To the north of Hornsey High Street, and immediately to its south, the area is largely public sector housing, save for the more upmarket development by the New River
New River (England)
The New River is an artificial waterway in England, opened in 1613 to supply London with fresh drinking water taken from the River Lea and from Amwell Springs , and other springs and wells along its course....
. Between the eastern end of the High Street and the bottom of Muswell Hill
Muswell Hill
Muswell Hill is a suburb of north London, mostly in the London Borough of Haringey. It is situated about north of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. Muswell Hill is in the N10 postal district and mostly in the Hornsey and Wood Green parliamentary constituency.- History :The...
, the character of the area changes dramatically. Much of this part is the Warner Estate built up with large well-appointed late Victorian houses. To the south east of the High Street is Priory Park
Priory Park, Haringey
Priory Park is a 6.5-hectare public park in Hornsey in the London Borough of Haringey.It is located on the Priory Road and Middle Lane, approximately 0.5km north of Crouch End Broadway. It has been winner of multiple Green Flag Award since 2003, and has an active community group.The park contains a...
, a pleasant urban green space.
The High Street has a range of shops and an increasing number of restaurants. The eastern section retains strong echoes of its rural past and hosts the 13th Century tower which is all that remains of St Mary's Church.
On the north side of the High street is the old public bath and wash house. Opened in 1932, it had 33,000 users a year in the 1950s. It is now abandoned and sits on a site the future of which is documented here. A small group of local residents have suggested to Haringey Council that it should be developed as an arts & crafts studio and gallery for local artists.
History
The name Hornsey originated from a Saxon chieftain named Haering; Haering's Hege was Haering's enclosure. It shares this derivation with HaringeyLondon Borough of Haringey
The London Borough of Haringey is a London borough, in North London, classified by some definitions as part of Inner London, and by others as part of Outer London. It was created in 1965 by the amalgamation of three former boroughs. It shares borders with six other London boroughs...
which is a modern variant now applied more specifically to the Borough.
Hornsey Town Hall
Hornsey Town Hall is a public building in Crouch End area of Hornsey, London. Built in 1935, it was the first major UK building to be constructed in the Modernist style. Designed by architect Reginald Uren 1933-1935, the building shows the influence of Hilversum town hall in the Netherlands and...
in Crouch End
Crouch End
Crouch End is an area of north London, in the London Borough of Haringey.- Location :Crouch End is in a valley between Harringay to the east, Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green to the north, Finsbury Park and Archway to the south and Highgate to the west...
, and Highpoint and Cromwell House in Highgate
Highgate
Highgate is an area of North London on the north-eastern corner of Hampstead Heath.Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has an active conservation body, the Highgate Society, to protect its character....
.
In 1929 Hornsey Lido was built in Park Road, an open-air pool 165 ft by 75 ft, now called Park Road Pools.
In 1954 the first Lotus Cars
Lotus Cars
Lotus Cars is a British manufacturer of sports and racing cars based at the former site of RAF Hethel, a World War II airfield in Norfolk. The company designs and builds race and production automobiles of light weight and fine handling characteristics...
factory was established behind the Railway Hotel (now Funky Brownz Bar) on Tottenham Lane. In 1968 Crouch End was briefly the scene of a student revolt at Hornsey College of Art
Hornsey College of Art
Hornsey College of Art is a former college centred in Crouch End, London, England. Since 2008, the building has been a part of Coleridge Primary School, upon its expansion to four form entry...
.
Education
- For details of education in Hornsey see the London Borough of Haringey article.
- Greig City AcademyGreig City AcademyGreig City Academy is a co-educational secondary school within the English academy programme, in the borough of Haringey. The successor to The School of St. David and St...
- Hornsey Secondary School for GirlsHornsey Secondary School for GirlsHornsey School for Girls is the only all-girl secondary school located in the borough of Haringay, situated in the Hornsey/Crouch End area of North London. With over sixty different first languages spoken by approx 1,500 pupils, it is a truly inclusive, multicultural school. In summer 2009, 66% of...
- Highgate Wood School Arts College
- Greig City Academy
Hornsey in literature, on film and television
In Jonathan CoeJonathan Coe
Jonathan Coe is an English novelist and writer. His work has an underlying preoccupation with political issues, although this serious engagement is often expressed comically in the form of satire. For example, What a Carve Up! reworks the plot of an old 1960s spoof horror film of the same name...
's 1987 debut novel The Accidental Woman, the protagonist Maria shares a flat in Hornsey with two women for several years.
Notable current and former residents
Former residents include poets A.E. Housman and Thomas MooreThomas Moore
Thomas Moore was an Irish poet, singer, songwriter, and entertainer, now best remembered for the lyrics of The Minstrel Boy and The Last Rose of Summer. He was responsible, with John Murray, for burning Lord Byron's memoirs after his death...
, publisher Andrew Melrose, eminent theatre architect Frank Matcham
Frank Matcham
Frank Matcham was a famous English theatrical architect. He is buried in Highgate Cemetery.-Early career:...
, soviet communist apologists William Peyton Coates and Zelda Coates. Actor Bob Hoskins
Bob Hoskins
Robert William "Bob" Hoskins, Jr. is an English actor known for playing Cockney rough diamonds, psychopaths and gangsters, in films such as The Long Good Friday , and Mona Lisa , and lighter roles in family films such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Hook .- Early life :Hoskins was born in Bury St...
grew up here. The once-famous poet Samuel Rogers
Samuel Rogers
Samuel Rogers was an English poet, during his lifetime one of the most celebrated, although his fame has long since been eclipsed by his Romantic colleagues and friends Wordsworth, Coleridge and Byron...
, a friend of Byron and Dickens, is buried in Hornsey churchyard.
Other notable residents are:
- Sway DaSafoSway DaSafoDerek Andrew Safo is a Ghanaian British musician who uses the stage names Sway DaSafo or Sway. He is signed to Akon's Konvict Muzik record label and he is also a producer, establishing DCypha Productions.-Childhood:...
- Lilian HarveyLilian HarveyLilian Harvey was a British-born actress and singer, long-based in Germany, where she is best known for her role as Christel Weinzinger in Erik Charell's 1931 film Der Kongress tanzt.-Life:...
- Edward Albert Sharpey-Schafer
- Colin ChapmanColin ChapmanAnthony Colin Bruce Chapman CBE was an influential British designer, inventor, and builder in the automotive industry, and founder of Lotus Cars....
, founder of Lotus CarsLotus CarsLotus Cars is a British manufacturer of sports and racing cars based at the former site of RAF Hethel, a World War II airfield in Norfolk. The company designs and builds race and production automobiles of light weight and fine handling characteristics... - Richard FrenchRichard FrenchRichard French was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky.Born near Boonesborough, Kentucky, French attended private schools.He studied law.He was admitted to the bar in 1820 and commenced practice in Winchester, Kentucky....
, philosopher - Jazzie BJazzie BTrevor Beresford Romeo OBE , better known by his stage name Jazzie B, is a British DJ, music producer, and entrepreneur. He is a founding member of Soul II Soul.-Life and career:...
, musician - Paul EddingtonPaul EddingtonPaul Eddington CBE was an English actor best known for his appearances in popular television sitcoms of the 1970s and 80s: The Good Life, Yes Minister and Yes, Prime Minister.-Early life:...
, actor
Nearest places
- Crouch EndCrouch EndCrouch End is an area of north London, in the London Borough of Haringey.- Location :Crouch End is in a valley between Harringay to the east, Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green to the north, Finsbury Park and Archway to the south and Highgate to the west...
- HarringayHarringayHarringay is a residential area of North London, part of the London Borough of Haringey, United Kingdom. It is centred on the section of Green Lanes running between the northern boundary of Finsbury Park up to the southern boundary of Duckett's Common, not far from Turnpike Lane.-Location:The...
- Muswell HillMuswell HillMuswell Hill is a suburb of north London, mostly in the London Borough of Haringey. It is situated about north of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. Muswell Hill is in the N10 postal district and mostly in the Hornsey and Wood Green parliamentary constituency.- History :The...
- Wood GreenWood GreenWood Green is a district in north London, England, located in the London Borough of Haringey. It is situated north of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of the metropolitan centres in Greater London.-History:...
- Finsbury ParkFinsbury Park, LondonFinsbury Park is an area in north London, England which grew up around an important railway interchange at the junction of the London Boroughs of Islington, Haringey and Hackney...
- HighgateHighgateHighgate is an area of North London on the north-eastern corner of Hampstead Heath.Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has an active conservation body, the Highgate Society, to protect its character....
- Turnpike LaneTurnpike LaneTurnpike Lane is the name of a street in Haringey, north London.The road is characterised by independent retailers with flats above their shops...
- Stroud GreenStroud Green, LondonStroud Green is the name of a suburb located adjacent to Finsbury Park in north London, England. Stroud Green ward is within the London Borough of Haringey. On its south-western side the Stroud Green Road forms part of the boundary with the London Borough of Islington...
Nearest railway stations
- Crouch Hill railway stationCrouch Hill railway stationCrouch Hill railway station is a railway station on Crouch Hill between Stroud Green and Crouch End, North London. It is on the Gospel Oak to Barking line between Upper Holloway and Harringay Green Lanes....
- Hornsey railway stationHornsey railway stationHornsey railway station is a suburban railway station located in Haringey, north London. It is in Travelcard Zone 3. The station is operated by First Capital Connect on behalf of Network Rail, and is situated next to the Hornsey train depot....
- Harringay railway stationHarringay railway stationHarringay railway station is a railway station located off Wightman Road in Harringay, North London. It is on the East Coast Main Line between Finsbury Park and Hornsey and opened on 1 May 1885...
External links
- Local community website for all of N8, i.e. Crouch End and Hornsey
- Hornsey Historical Society
- The Colin Chapman Museum and Education Centre - includes a history of Lotus in Hornsey.
- Local community website used by Hornseyites - Harringay Online